Before peace in Swat, there was militancy, brought on partly because of lack of jobs, sports and other healthy activities for the youth to pursue, according to scholars.
While the army pushed back militancy, the government still has not addressed one of the root causes of why many young men joined Mullah Fazlullah in his movement to implement a rigid version Islam.
Galoch village in Tehsil Kabal, for instance, does not have a single ground.
“We don’t have any opportunities for sports activities. We love games and want to play cricket, foot or volleyball but don’t have a single ground for 8,000 people,” said Aftab Alam, an MSc student and captain of his college cricket team.
He added that the unavailability of grounds has resulted in many players taking to a dried stream to play. But this is hardly a solution, as the debris and stones in the waterbed result in many injuries to the players. The alternative is “forming different groups who often pit one against the other and fight. It is clear to all that many free boys fall into unhealthy activities,” said Alam.
The area is famous for volleyball and has produced players of international calibre, although the village has never had even a single volleyball ground.
Arif Khan, a volleyball player, told The Express Tribune, “I have been playing volleyball for the past decade but we don’t have any grounds to practice in.” He added that asking the authorities for assistance had not been fruitful either.
Jahan Sher Khan, a volleyball coach, said, “If the sports department pays attention, I am sure players [from the village] will get places in the national team.”
Khan said much of the region’s talent is being wasted due to a lack of sports facilities and other opportunities.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2011.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ